Griding on Home
by Charles RocketBoy
Summary: My first JSR fic! Combo feels that life with the GG's isn't for him; bad timing, as a new gang has surfaced and is ready the wipe them of the face of Tokyo!


DISCLAMIER: I own Jet Set Radio but only for Dreamcast; a very clever and rich bugger has the actual license. 

" YO! We're Tokyo-To's tough talking, weird walking, punchy pirate station JET SET RADIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (pauses for breath) OOOOOOOOO!

" It's been 6 months since Goji Rokkaku took the world's biggest stage dive after trying to destroy the city with an indie record; hey, I know the song was bad but not THAT bad, man! His son Goji JR has so far done nothin' but disband the Golden Rhinos; he's put 'em right on the endangered species list! The gang responsible, the GG's, now own this city! Poison Jam is allowed to tag the sewers and parts of the residential area at GG permission; the Keisatsu are tryin' to stop 'em but all that's happened is that guys armed with spraypaint are giving Onishima one HUGE dry cleaning bill! Hahaha! So, let's look at the GG's in full;

" We got easy-going leader Beat; tough chick Gum; the Zen-master of tagging, Tab; flashy skill-meister Garam; that kawaii naïve girl Mew; tough talkin' gothic Grind City babe Cube; big story-telling "peace, man" guy Combo; hyperactive weirdo Yo-yo; 70's renegade Pirhana; and the silent-but-deadly Slate! They saved the city and now they tag it! While we play our No.1 hit "Let Mum Sleep", we sit and wonder just WHAT are the GG's up to now… "

" Zzzzzzzzzzzzz… "

Beat lay on the sofa, drooling slightly out of the corner of his mouth. His legs moved as he dreamt of tagging the streets of Benton-cho, his shades reflecting the lights of the city… While he dreamt, Yo-yo used this opportunity to scribble all over Beat's face. 

Gum and Mew had just returned from tagging up the Shibuya-cho back alleys, a place normally only used by lone taggers. They were arguing over who had done the best wall ride and who had tagged the best place. 

" I put a new Hello Kitty logo tag in the window of McDonalds! " said Mew proudly, her chest swelling with pure pride. 

Gum waved her arm dismissingly. " That's nothing, kid. **I **put my personal small tags all over Onishima's car. "

Mew gave her a sceptical look. It vanished after a faint cry of " DAMN! " echoed through the air, making the windows rattle under its force. Mew now looked at Gum with new levels of respect. 

None of the GG's noticed Combo. He was sitting in the corner, looking at an old picture. A small, faded picture of him when he was a new rudie. In it was the everyone from his old gang, including his schoolmates Cube and Coin, smiling and waving in front of their spectacular X-Tra Large tag. The gang leader, Cream, was standing in the background. His white hair was waving in the wind and he had a huge grin on his face, mainly because he was tagging Cod's hair. 

Combo smiled at the memory, but then his face darkened. Cod was dead, killed when trying to tag a billboard while a train was coming. Cream had been arrested by the police in the first month of the "crackdown". The whole gang had been slowly whittled away to just Combo, Cube and Coin, and now not even that…

__

Aw, nuts. Things are going good here; I'm in a cool new gang, I'm going steady with Cube, we avenged Coin and stopped the Rhinos; everything's just dandy. Sow why am I goin' dredging up all this stuff again? The GothiC's are gone, man, so stop thinking 'bout it! 

Combo pout his photo away and put his hand inside his huge hands.

__

Aw, who am I kidding? Things may be good but this just doesn't feel right. I only came to Tokyo coz of Coin; it was NEVER meant to be permanent! I just wanna go back to good ol' Grind City, for… Well… I just wanna go back! But, can I? After all this time in Tokyo, can I really go back? 

As the large youth strayed into the dark corners of his thoughts, the cry of Beat could be heard now he'd woken to see what Yo-yo had done so freely. 

WSH…

Shibuya-cho was one of the best districts to live in. Unlike Benten, there had been no blackouts or muggings or noise. Unlike Kogane, there had been no threat of Poison Jam or frogs. In fact for years the only threat had been the Love Shockers and they had never done much damage compared to the other gangs. 

WSH…

The Second Tag War had changed that. Once the GG's arrived and began messing up the status quo, all the Tokyo residents knew that the peaceful little district would soon burst into flame. But the War had been brief; the GG's had beaten all three gangs in the space of 4 days, and had even gained 3 extra members. Shibuya had thought the threat was over.

WSH…

But then the Golden Rhinos had attacked, leaving the burnt out shells of bombed cars in their wake. The GG's had stopped them but only after a lot of criminal damage had been done. It was the worst damage the Rhinos had done and the district had only just rebuilt. 

WSH…

But now a new disturbance had come to the peaceful little district. The X-Tra large tag, a man made of rain surrounded by a cobra, sprayed on the Bus Terminal billboard, told everyone that. As the rudie grinded off, his green-scaled jacket glinting in the sunlight, the residents all realised how stupid they were to think Shibuya would never see danger. 

A new gang had arisen. 

It was a council of war. Every GG was there, yelling about the snake tag to Beat; even Potts the dog joined in, mooing like mad (thanks to Noise Tank 'modifications') in the hope that SOMEONE would give him a walk. 

Beat put his hands over his ears and screamed at everyone to " SHUT THE SMEG UP! ". Once he had silence, Beat turned to Gum. 

"Gum, you discovered the tag. What can you tell us? "  
Gum stood up and pulled out a photo of the tag. She looked at it as if it was a cockroach crapping on the floor. " Here it is. A mood piece; the only thing that stands out is that weird snake drawing. We're probably dealing with some new gang that has a snake _motif_. "

Tab stared at it thoughtfully. " Man, that tag seems kinda familiar. I'm sure I've seen it before… "

Beat swung round to face him. " Yeah? Well, do you remember who used it? " he demanded. 

Tab shook his head. " Nope. All I can tell you is that it must be one lairy gang; that tag was placed in front of a really phat one we did on our first day as da GG's! "

Mew scowled. " That's an insult! "

Beat nodded. " You bet it is. Whoever did it is definitely issuing a challenge. We don't want to get caught out by these guys, so here's what we do. "  
He pulled out the street map of Tokyo-to, and began sticking little pictures of the gang on it. 

" OK, me and Mew will patrol Shibuya-cho, just in case the gang is based here. Slate, you and Gum will patrol Benten, and Cube & Combo will watch over Kogane. Don't bother with the Poison Jam areas; they'll look after 'em. " Beat began handing paint cans to Pirhana, Yo-yo and Tab. " You guys will hit each of those districts and just tag normally. Garam, you stay here. You can then go and provide back-up for whoever gets attacked by Onishima; and if the snake-guys track down our base, I want someone ready to guard it. "

Mew blinked in surprise. " Come on, " she said, a smile on her lips, " you don't think they'll really find the garage, do you? "

Beat's eyes were grim and cold. " Yes. It's always a possibility. " He turned back to the others. " We'll start the patrols tomorrow; hopefully, our snake boys will not strike in the night. "

" You think they'll hit Benten then? "  
" No, I mean the night HERE- "  
" But this is the Daylight District! "  
" Yes, but… Oh, you know what I mean! "

" And why do you assume the snake-gang are boys, " said Pirhana furiously. " Do you think girls just wouldn't form a gang themselves, you MCP- "

" Pirhana, it's not the 70's anymore! Women have the equal right now! "  
" Yes, but male chauvinist pigs like you are always ready to force us back to the kitchens! " 

" I like working in the kitchen, " said Mew brightly.   
" YOU stay out of this! "

As the argument went on, Cube turned to Combo. " Let's get outta here before Pirhana starts throwing things again. "

" Uh-huh. "

First day of the new schedule. Cube and Combo were sweeping over Kogane, making sure there were no snake tags. After 3 laps without finding any, they decided to just rest by the wooden bridge. 

Cube pulled out a Coke can and began drinking. " Ahh, that's better! Pretty nice place, Kogane, as long as you don't get bored easily by sunsets. "

Combo nodded. 

" Amazing how all these districts are always at the same time of day, " Cube continued. " Almost like… Ah, I dunno, some video game or something. "

Combo nodded.

" You're not listening, are you? "

Combo nodded. 

" You smell. "

Combo nodded.

By now, Cube decided to bring out the big guns. " Man it's so hot out here. I think I'll take my top off! "

Combo suddenly jerked to attention. " Huh? Say wha-? Wassat? "

Cube shook her head. She walked over to Combo and put her hand on his arm. " C'mon big guy, you've been zoning out throughout the whole patrol. What gives? "

" I-It's nothing. "

Cube began to lock him into an embrace. " Combo, I've known you for 10 years. I know when you're covering something up. Something is bugging you and I wanna know what. "

" I-I… " Combo looked down. " It's just this place reminds me of Grind City. "

Cube blinked in shock. " What? "

" Y'know, back when we first joined the GothiCs. Our first tagging trip into Grind Square… " His arm swept over the whole sunset landscape. " Watching the sun set as we entered, and all the electric lights flicker on… It was beautiful. "

Cube smiled as she held onto him. " Yeah, it was something all right. I'm supposed to be punky-dark-chick, but I just felt like a little kid when I saw that; a little kid, fascinated by everything… God, those first days of being a rudie were great. "

" Yeah. " Combo tried to turn away. " Yeah. "  
Cube was puzzled; Combo sometimes told stories about what had gone on before but he'd never acted like this. She walked in front of him so she could see him properly and was shocked to see him…crying?  
" Combo! " She looked up at him with concern. " What's wrong? "

Combo sniffled and held onto her. " I miss the old gang! And I miss Grind City! I grew up there, the gang formed there, all our memories are there… "  
"Combo, " she said gently, wiping a tear away, " I sometimes feel like that too. But we have got to look forwards and get on with our lives. We can't just live in the past. "

" Why not? Grind was our home, Cube! Tokyo-to just isn't! The GG's, Shibuya-cho, the whole thing; it just doesn't seem like home at all! Grind City is my home and I… " Combo sighed. " I wanna go back home, " he said softly. "I just wanna go home. " 

Unaware of his friend's plight, Beat and Mew continued their trek across Shibuya-cho. To their annoyance, someone had been spraying those snake tags at the Bus Terminal. Beat quickly covered one with an Ebisu Wave tag. 

" Man, our scaly friends have been busy! I count 7 tags and we've only been away from here for three minutes! " He re-sheathed a spraypaint can with a look of disgust. " Love Shockers I could handle but these guys are way more skilled! "

" Speaking of skilled, " said Mew in a strained voice, " you know that Graffiti soul under the left side of the Bus Terminal bridge that we could never get at? "

" Yeah. "

" Well, that guy over there is reaching for it. And he just sprayed a tag on that car! "  
Beat spun round, cursing under his breath. He sped forwards in a Dash but it as too late; the rudie had taken the Graffiti Soul and was now grinding down the ladder to the tunnels. 

" After him! " he commanded. " Tag his ass 10 times and finish him! "  
" On it, fearless leader! "

The two GG's sped off at top speed. The other rudie may have had a head start, but Beat and Mew were faster, more skilled, more experienced in chases. They Wall Rided to catch up with him and managed to catch him running into the side of a covered tunnel…and disappearing? 

" A concealed base? "

" Makes sense, Mew. Snakes are masters of hiding. Still, we can take out one lone rudie! "

The two of them sped into the tunnel and over to where the enemy had gone. They saw a small button on the side of the tunnel and pressed it; a small bit of the wall swung inwards and revealed a path to part of the Shibuya-cho sewers. 

They followed the path and realised their mistake. They thought they would only have to deal with that lone rudie; easy target.

Shame about the other 5 already at the base. 

It was the worst precinct in the city, the Hell for every copper. It was the police station that Onishima worked at. Whoever worked their suffered when Onishima failed and had his trenchcoat sprayed. They also had to deal with complaints from angry citizens who had had their cars crushed by the Keisatsu tanks, or whose garden had been crapped in by the K9 squad when they were released to catch a rudie. Many people felt that Onishima was doing more damage than the rudies; they kept this to themselves, as the last person who said that got 5 years in jail for " being a whining bastard ". 

Constable Shigeru had always been a simple, and fat, copper, patrolling the parts of Benten where the Noise Tanks didn't go. Then he'd been promoted and ended up working for Onishima, or, as the Keisatsu and rudies alike privately called him, That Prick. Now he had to suspend his daily donut-chomping to listen to That Prick give a speech. Shigeru just KNEW this would get in the way of lunchtime. 

The assembly hall was packed with Keisatsu members, all of which looked very unhappy. Onishima was already there, wearing Trenchcoat No.4. He beamed at everyone, blew smoke out of his cigarette at someone with asthma and then went on to his speech. 

" Upholders of law and order! We have a new weapon to deal with the rudies! " 

Shigeru was worried. Did this mean- 

" The Council has so far decided against the proposed Evangelion project- "  
Shigeru breathed a sigh of relief. _Thank God for that! _

" Instead, we have a- " and here Onishima's face turned dark and disgusted " _non-lethal_ weapon. This! " He held up a small mobile phone. " These mobiles are to be used instead of our radios, so the rudies can't pick up our transmissions and be ready for us! These will be used unless proven useless. However, with all the reparations we have to pay, the station is unable to afford mobiles for everyone and so you'll have to buy them yourself. "

A rebellious mutter went though the hall, disrupted by a shot from Onishima's gun. 

" OI! YOU WILL DO WHAT I TELL YOU OR ELSE! BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, REMEMBER THAT! AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE BUGGER'S NICKED YOUR PIGGY BANK AND BROKEN YOUR GOOD TOYS, THE BLOODY GIT! AND YO' MOMMA TURNS A BLIND EYE, AND… "

Shigeru did what he always did when the captain talked about his unhappy childhood. He fell asleep. 

" Combo. "

The large youth looked down towards Cube. Her face was set. " If this is how you feel, then I'm going with you. Life in Tokyo-to without you would suck. "

He smiled. " Thanks, Cube. I appreciate it. "

The two of them embraced again, and Combo kissed Cube on the lip. She was startled but went along with it. They would've continued if not for the fact that they needed to go back to Garage…and try to break the news to the others.

" We're gonna die now, aren't we Beat? "

" Yep. "

The gang leader stepped forwards. He looked like Shinji from _Neon Genesis Evangelion_, only with blond hair and smaller, sneakier-looking eyes. He, like all the others, wore a green leather jacket and jeans with lizard scale patterns on them. The jackets were partly unzipped, showing a variety of different T-shirts. 

" I am Anaconda, leader and master of the Serpent Blades! Now, why are you here? "

__

Hmm… Melodramatic guy, huh? Better use this… 

Beat bowed before him. " O mighty Anaconda, I am Beat, leader of the GG's. I have come to offer you a challenge. "

" Really? What is it, pray tell? "  
" A Jet Crush. Me and Mew will race you and another member of your…er… slithery stewards! *_Yes, that sounds right…_ *"

" And the prize? "

Beta flashed a grin. " Exclusive tagging rights to Shibuya-cho Bus Terminal. "

Anaconda paused for a moment, and then nodded. " Very well. Meet us here at 1.00 tomorrow. And prepare for the greatest challenge of your young life! "

" Geez, what a windbag! " said Mew as the two of them exited. " Oh well, we'll beat him! "  
" Yeah, but I want patrols anyway; the other Serpent Blades might try a sneak attack during the Crush. I'll get Cube and Combo to cover it. "

* * *

The GG's garage was packed once more. The radio had tuned into JSR, which was playing "Super Brother". Slate was having a go on the pinball machine and Potts was dying from being too near Yo-yo's never-be-washed socks. Cube and Combo were standing over in the corner, talking quietly among themselves. Gum found this odd but was distracted by Beat and Mew coming back in. 

Beta had a very triumphant grin on his face. " Guess what? We found our little rivals and challenged them to a Jet Crush tomorrow! We'll kick their asses and then they'll never tag the Bus Terminal again! "

And there was much rejoicing, especially for Potts when Yo-yo did a back flip and got his feet caught in a low hanging rafter, saving the little puppy from the smell. 

"Super Brother" suddenly finished and Professor K came on, proclaiming the news that the GG's were challenging the Serpent Blades. 

" How does he do that? " asked Beat incredulously. 

Garam did a 1080-Degree jump over to Beat. " So, fearless leader, what do we do now? "

" Well, Mew and I will race 'em. The rest of ya will wait here and listen 'bout our stunning victory! Cube and Combo will make sure the other Blades don't try and tag while we're occupied. Now, as for- "  
" No. "

Everyone turned round to Combo. He was standing in the corner, Cube holding his right hand, his left clenched in a fist.

" We can't skate recon. Cube and I are going back to Grind City tomorrow. "

There was silence. Even Yo-yo was silent. Then Beta stepped forwards, a small grin on his face.

" yeah, nice joke pal. April the First was a week ago. Now- " 

" I'M NOT JOKING DAMMIT! "

Beat was shocked. Combo had never shouted before, not even when he was facing Goji. Combo was looking down at the floor. Cube began to speak, in a voice that was nearly a whisper. 

" We just don't feel that this is home. Don't get me wrong, you guys are great and all, but… We just wanna go back to Grind. "

Beat stepped forwards, hands and voice pleading. " B-But we need you! You're a vital part of the team! "

Combo spoke softly. " Sorry, kid. "  
Beat scowled and stormed out of the garage. " Yeah, sure you are! " The door banged behind angrily behind him. 

There was total silence. No one wanted to speak or move, in case they did something stupid. A fly buzzed around Yo-yo's upside-down head and they all turned up gratefully at the distraction. Then Yo-yo accidentally ate it and they turned away again. Combo's face was shaking as he tried to stop crying. Cube's held no expression.   
Finally, Mew broke the silence. She stepped forward, cautiously. 

" Well… " She put her hand behind her back as she sought for something to say. " We'll…we'll miss you guys. "

Garam nodded. " Yeah, it's been great having you here. "

" Yo to that! " 

The garage rang out with praise as the GG's came forward to wish them well and pat them on the back. Combo smiled slightly at this. 

" We're not goin 'til tomorrow, ya know. "

" So? " said Mew. " Doesn't mean we have to wait until then to wish you well, does it? "

" Guess not. " 

Whatever the GG's felt about their friends abandoning the gang, they kept them silent. They smiled and said the right things, so as to remember them leaving without resentment and arguments left behind. As the two Grind Citians went up to their room to pack, Yo-yo spoke out in sorrow.

" Isn't anyone gonna help me get down? " 

The next day was one of the worst in GG history. Cube and Combo were leaving. Beat refused to speak to, or about, them. Mew felt like hiding in her room and crying; if not for the Jet Crush, she would. 

The Serpent Blades knew none of this. They were waiting in their tunnel for the GG's to turn up. Beat had got there before Mew and was already deciding the route with Anaconda. With him was another Serpent Blade who would race with Mew. She was a tall and slightly chunky girl with purple hair and large, blue, _anime_ eyes. The gap in her jacket showed a small blue top with an adder, from which she took her name, placed over her breasts in an attempt to emphasis them; many a rival had been distracted by these and crashed during a chase. 

Beat unsheathed his spraypaint can. " Ready. " Mew nodded in agreement. 

Anaconda and Adder took their positions and, with a grand sweep of their hands, unsheathed their own snake-patterned cans. 

One of the other Blades began the countdown. Beat tightened his grip on the can. 

" 5… 4… "

__

I can do this. I have to; Combo and Cube have deserted us and we have to cope. We did before; we can do it again. We have to.

" 3…2… 1… GO! "  
WOOSH!  
All 4 skaters Dashed forwards at once! Anaconda was lagging behind and Mew/Adder were both at the front. The two girls glared at each other, muttering "slag" under their breath.

The first task was to get through Park Street. Mew and Adder climbed up the stairs to the main road and zoomed on. Beat and Anaconda came after them; Beat waved to Anaconda and then Dashed forwards, leapt onto a rail to grind and then leapt forwards in a Rocket. 

" Beat that, snake boy! "

Anaconda jumped onto a passing car, let it drive him ahead of Beat and then jumped back off. 

" S*%&! "

Mew and Adder continued on, scattering people in their wake. Normally they would have turned left and gone back to the tunnels; this time, they carried straight on. Ahead of them was a multi-storey car park. The two girls skated up, went to top floor and then jumped out! They landed on the roof of a nearby building; from there, they starting skating across the rooftops in a straight line towards the road to the Bus Terminal. The boys followed suit. 

Mew grimaced. _This sucks! I can roof jump but not over long distances! Not many places to grind either… This is hard! And all I can think about is how are Cube and Combo getting on?_

Combo placed his suitcase down and began to wait at the Bus Terminal. Soon the bus to Grind City would arrive and he'd be going back home. He could see his family again; granted, they'd never kept in touch before but he could now. He could grind across the neon lights of Grind Square, listen to Improvise again, relive his old memories…

So why did he suddenly feel like he was making a bad decision?

Cube was behind him, carrying a photo book Mew had given her. Inside were all the GG's along with their signatures and messages of farewell. Combo would miss the GG's. Kogane as well; without Poison Jam about, it was a perfect place for a romantic trip with Cube. 

And Jet Set Radio. He'd never heard it in Grind; he was amazed how he'd lived without it. Songs that Tokyo-to had banned, all carrying the message of rebellion, expression and hope. Never heard much like it in Grind. 

It had been a good trip but now it was time to go home. Grind would always be home and going back was right. 

Wasn't it? 

" HA! "

Mew cried out with glee as she performed a 720-Degree jump over the busy road…only to not make it and fall face down into the pavement. Adder jumped overhead, saw her, and laughed her head off. As she wasn't looking where she was going, she ended up crashing her head into the roof and falling down to join Mew. 

" NOW who's saying 'ha ha!'? " 

" Can't talk, too busy passing out… "  
Anaconda leapt over them with Beat lagging behind. He cursed under his breath; he wasn't as fast as Mew and Anaconda had the head start! Unless…

The route said that he had to go forward and then turn right and then across onto the nearby roofs. If he just grinded along the nearby phone lines, he could get to the jumping point quicker. 

" Hey Anaconda! Watch THIS! "  
He leapt in a Stale Fish and hit the phone lines in grinding position. He passed Anaconda with ease and made sure to give him the Middle Finger. 

Once he jumped off, the two of them were neck and neck. If Beat made one mistake, he would lose.

The bus entered the terminal and parked. Cube looked up. 

" C'mon Combo. It's here. "  
Combo sighed and began walking. Soon he'd be back in Grind City and no longer have to worry about the Keisatsu; the anti-rudie law had been abandoned in Grind 2 years ago. Combo could see a copper now, snacking on donuts. It wasn't his concern anymore. It was time to go home. Time to-

Da-da Dee Dee Da-da Dee DEE DE!

Officer Shigeru pulled his mobile out of his pocket. " Hello? No, I'm at the Bus Terminal eating donuts! Nah, it's rubbish! " 

The phone suddenly erupted with noise; Onishima getting hysterical again.

" SHUT UP! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY! THE LEADERS OF THE GG's AND SERPENT BLADES ARE HEADING TOWARDS THE BUS TERMINAL! "

Combo tensed at this. Then he recovered himself. _Don't worry, man, it's no longer your problem. Beat can handle it. He'll pick it up. He'll-_

" AWRIGHT! THIS BROADCAST IS SECURE SO THEY WON'T KNOW WHAT HIT 'EM WHEN WE ATTACK! I WANT ALL OFFICERS AT TOBUS ROAD NOW! I WANT THE K-9 SQUADS AND S.W.A.T. TEAMS AS WELL! AND THE MOTERCYCLE UNITS AND PARATROOPERS AND HELICOPTERS AND TANKS! GET EVERYTHING DOWN HERE AND PREPARE TO FIRE! I DON'T CARE ABOUT CIVILIANS GETTING CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE OR BUILDINGS GETTING DAMAGED, JUST BLAST THOSE PUNKS OUTTA THE SKY! ONISHIMA OUT! "

Shigeru grumbled as he put his donuts down and drove off. Combo just stood there, frozen, a look of horror on his face. 

__

Beat doesn't even know what's happening! He'll never survive that- never…

Cube was already getting on the bus. " Combo, if you want to go back to Grind, we must go now. The bus is leaving. "

Combo shook his head, trying to think straight. He wanted to go home. He wanted out of the GG's. And yet…

They'd taken him and Cube in. They'd braved the wrath of the Golden Rhinos to help them. 

Combo scowled. " Damned if I'm gonna let Beat get killed! "

He ran off, pulling his skates from his suitcase and attaching them. Behind him, Cube followed. 

Going home be damned; he had a friend to save! 

It was a sight that to make Onishima weep and normal men piss themselves. It was the sight of half the Keisatsu arsenal jammed in one road. And, in the distance,, skaters could be seen heading their way. 

" All right men! The rudies are coming! Prepare to FIRE! "

ZOOOOOM!  
Beat kept Dashing; with nowhere to grind it was his only option of going fast. Anaconda was right next to him, his eyes fixed on the target.

" They'll be here in 1 minute! Guns ready! "  
Onishima pulled out his trusty gun, kissed it and then pointed it at the rudies path. He hoped some bit of Beat survived; he wanted to kill that punk himself for wrecking Trenchcoat No. 2! Nothing could stop him now…

PSH! 

He gasped; he knew that sound; it was the sound of spraypaint! Craning his head round, he saw his worst fears confirmed; Combo's personal small tag on his trenchcoat. 

" DAMN! "  
Suddenly, the street seemed full of rudies, as Cube and Combo skated around, scattering coppers. Cube leapt over a few dogs, tagging them as she went and then start an X-tra Large tag on the side of a tank. Combo Dashed across the path of some normal officers, making sure to cover their helmet visors with spraypaint. 

By now, the officers had lost their surprise. Helicopters began firing missiles! The SWAT team and paratroopers both aimed their weapons at Cube! 

" FIRE, DAMMIT! **FIRE! **"

BLAM! 

Combo leapt away; the missiles ended up hitting the tank, which blindly fired back and blew up the motorcycles. Cube suddenly Backwards Skated, so the paratrooper and SWAT team ended up firing upon each other! Within seconds, every cop was firing at every other cop. 

" STOP IT! " screamed Onishima, spit flying from his mouth. " YOU'LL LET THE RUDIES GET AWAY ALIVE! "

He would've ranted some more if the K-9 squad hadn't suddenly attacked him. 

Combo called out to Cube, " Let's go! They can only beat themselves up for so long before they turn on us! "

" Gotcha! " 

Beat and Anaconda arrived 20 seconds later. As they jumped off the roof and over the road, their skates glinting in the sunlight, they saw a curious sight; a huge crater in the middle of the road, filled with fighting Keisatsu and the burnt out remains of helicopters and tanks. 

Anaconda was surprised ta this and so forgot to prepare his landing; his crash on the roof slowed him down and gave Beat the edge he needed. Beat had seen the wreckage too but wasn't ready to think about it yet. As he landed in the Bus Terminal and headed for the target (a parked bus), he saw a fleeting glimpse of a man carrying a boombox skating away. He guessed instantly what had happened.

__

Thanks, Combo. I owe you one. 

The garage was full of cheer that night; or rather, daylight at the time when it would normally be night. Garam was performing skating stunts while dancing, JSR was playing "We Are the Champions" in their honour, Yo-yo and Pirhana were acting out a sock-puppet play in which the Serpent Blades tried to find their missing genitals and everyone had forgotten to give Potts a walk once more. 

" It was close one, " said Beat, Gum and Mew hanging on his every word, " but I managed it. Funny thing was, if it wasn't for Combo and Cube, I'd be so much sushi right now. "  
Gum smiled. " Even after they'd left , they were still GG's. Makes me wanna drop my tough-chick persona and cry. "  
" I'll cry for the both of us, " said Mew. " I've been practising! " 

Slate, having not spoken since Tuesday, rose up his can of Coke. His voice echoed throughout the garage. " We should give honour to Cube and Combo. Without them, we'd have lost the Jet Crush, our leader and the Bus Terminal. "

Beat nodded. " Yeah. To Combo and Cube! " 

" COMBO AND CUBE! "  
" Yo kid. " Everyone spun round to see Combo standing in the doorway, a smile on his face. " This a private party or can anyone join in? "

" COMBO! "Mew skated forwards and hugged the youth around his waist. " We thought you'd gone back to Grind! "  
Cube entered. " We changed our minds. And please don't hug me or Yo-yo will keep singing 'Yuri Girl' at me for the rest of my life. "   
Combo put his suitcase and boombox down. " We were gonna leave. I was gonna leave; go home to Grind. But then I overheard Onishima's plan and…well, I just had to help out. And that's when I realised… "

" Realised what? "asked Beat. 

Combo smiled. " Realised that Tokyo-to WAS my home after all. I've been away from Grind for too long and done too much to just go back. Going back would make me live in the past and give me despair; hanging with you guys is the path of my future, my road to joy. "  
Beat began blushing. " Aw, shucks, we're not THAT good… " 

Tab jumped up. " The Big Man's right; looking to the future is THE way ta go; grinding backwards will only result in pain and bad tags. Stay phat and follow the path of the grind, ma man. "

Cube shook her head. " Only you, Tab, could be philosophical with blading terms. "

The radio suddenly blazed to life. " YO! This is Professor K with a news flash straight from the streets; Cube and Combo are hanging with the GG's once more! "  
" How DOES he do that? "

" And in honour of this occasion, we are broadcasting Combo's No.1 song; Improvise, by Jurassic 5! JET SET RADIOOOOO! "

As the song came through, Combo's eyes began to tear up. " Aw man… I love this city… "

" Well, c'mon on! " said Cube. " It's a party, so let's dance! "  
" I suck at dancing! "  
" Improvise! Heh heh… "  
And the partying continued long into the night. The grind to home was over; the tag of life could begin. 

****

THE END

Author notes; Well, that's my first JSR fic done! What d'ya think? Wanna see more of the Serpent Blades and the Grindshippyness (Cube/Combo love stories)? Any criticisms/raves/death threats/offers of money? 

Message for CrazyGirlPerson; when's your next fic? Note to NoiseTank13; More of the original "Memories of Graffiti" please! 


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